Adopt these Wacky, Unique & Heartwarming Thanksgiving Traditions

November is here, and soon Thanksgiving will be upon us. That means lots of turkey, mounds of stuffing, and loads of calories. Thanksgiving is a fantastic time to gather with family and friends to celebrate yearly traditions—some heartwarming, some unique, and some that are just downright wacky. We’ve scoured the web to find and share some of the greatest Thanksgiving traditions so your family can have a truly memorable holiday this year.

The Wacky Thanksgiving Traditions

The Turkey Dance. We know what you’re thinking, but no, this isn’t a twist on a chicken dance. This incredibly funny tradition involves an actual dance with your uncooked turkey. That’s right: one festive family (and maybe more) created a tradition of naming their turkey and then dancing around the kitchen with it before it’s stuffed and cooked. Poor turkey—thinks he’s at a disco but ends up on being the main course!

Gourdy the Traveling Gourd. We all know that Thanksgiving is a time to be with loved ones. Many people have family members who travel long distances to celebrate this special holiday. One creative family came up with “The Traveling Gourd.” They choose an especially funky-looking dried gourd, paint on a delightfully crazy face, and get it ready for some grand adventures! The gourd (typically named “Gourdy”) is passed on to the family member who plans to travel the farthest over the next year. That family member must take Gourdy on all their exciting adventures and take photos to share with the rest of the crew on Thanksgiving.

The “Who-Can-Stuff-Themselves-Silly” Contest. It’s no secret that many of us tend to overeat (just a bit) on Thanksgiving. Most of us don’t go into the meal actually planning to do this, however. There is at least one family out there that does. The men in the family have a time-honored tradition of pre-dinner and post-dinner weigh-ins; the point of the contest is to consume as much delicious food as possible during dinner, and the guy that packs on the most pounds is the “winner.”

The Unique Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving

The Heirloom Tablecloth. This incredible tradition was started way back in the 1930s by a particularly creative family. A special tablecloth was used from Thanksgiving Day until New Year’s, and every visitor to the home over the holidays was asked to sign their name on the cloth. When the holidays were over, a family member embroidered over each signature to preserve that visitor’s name. Each year, the tablecloth is used again, with new names being added. Once the tablecloth is filled, a new one is started.

The Pie Fest. Thanksgiving is certainly well-known for its pies—with apple and pumpkin being among the most common. One family takes it a step further every year, turning the entire dinner into a pie fest. Think of all your Thanksgiving favorites reimagined in a flaky crust. Sweet and savory pies fill the dinner table, including turkey pot pies, quiches, artichoke pies, and the standard holiday desserts! Each guest brings a different type of pie to share with the family, eliminating the need for the host to do all the cooking. Sounds like a pie-fect plan to us.

The Historical Visit. The Thanksgiving holiday is deeply rooted in American history, so what better way to celebrate the holiday than to immerse yourself in such history? Many historical museums are open on Thanksgiving Day, including museums in Kansas City, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, and New York City. Families that take part in this educational tradition of visiting museums on Thanksgiving can enjoy a quiet, peaceful retreat because the buildings are relatively empty.

The Heartwarming Thanksgiving Celebrations

The Tree of Thanks. Many families have a tradition that includes some sort of “Thankful Tree” to remind everyone why they should be thankful. Create a pretty tree and laminate it so it can be reused each Thanksgiving. You can also create a new tree each Thanksgiving, label it with the year, and encourage family members to create thankful leaves. This tradition is essentially a scrapbook of holiday memories but in festive autumn fashion.

The Surprise Biscuits. This tradition is a fantastic way to warm up the dinner table with animated conversation and laughter. When everyone arrives for the November feast, hand each guest a small strip of paper. Ask them to write down something for which they are thankful. Roll up each slip of paper into a biscuit or crescent roll, then bake the rolls. Each guest receives one biscuit at dinner, breaking it open like a fortune cookie. They must then guess who wrote the message that was inside their biscuit.

The Post-Dinner Walk. After enjoying an incredible Thanksgiving dinner, it’s tempting to lounge around and take a nap. That’s not exactly the best way to spend quality time with others. Many families take a traditional “post-dinner walk” on Thanksgiving. Gather up every guest (pups, too) and get outside for an invigorating stroll around the block. This allows everyone to catch up with one another and walk off some of the pounds they put on at dinner!

Take the time to relax and enjoy this holiday, because once it’s over, the Christmas rush begins! Soon it will be time to begin crossing items off your shopping list and wrap your gifts. But before you decide on a pair of socks for your significant other, consider stepping up your gift-giving game this year. Head into our Chevrolet dealership near Kansas City to find a spectacular Christmas present. We have special holiday Chevrolet offers coming out of our workshop, so you might save a pretty penny on a four-wheeled gift!

Contact McCarthy-Morse Chevrolet at (913) 440-0099 to speak with our sales team or Chevy financing department. You can also pay a visit to our Overland Park car dealership at 9201 Metcalf Ave to test drive any of our new Chevy cars for sale or pre-owned vehicles. Happy holidays from all of us at McCarthy!